‘Having been captured, ‘Big Bill Wallace’, in chains is conveyed to London town! His appearence is met at every turn by Englishman with a loud snarl, and an angry frown!’ August, 1305 was one of the most satisfying times of King Edward’s long reign. How he must have rubbed his hands as he gleefully pondered …
‘I was just about to attack King Phil! But my triumvirate was defeated by a Scot called Big Bill! Now I will see the upstart Scot crushed by means of my iron will!’ What thoughts were going through King Edward’s head as he boarded the royal yacht back to England? The king was beside himself …
‘But the Scots will not lie still! With Edward away, Scot leaders go in for the kill!’ Happy with the situation in Scotland, Edward turned his attention to the dispute between himself and the King of France. In fact he was feeling extremely chuffed at what he thought was a repeat performance of his achievement …
Edward regarded the Scottish action as based on false grounds! As a result, his fury would know no bounds! Edward marched north, sending word to King John to meet him at the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in order to apologise for his gross impertinence. When John declined to oblige, Edward destroyed the town causing immense …
The fact that Edward was in a position to turn his attention to Scotland came about due to a number of tragedies which befell the Scottish royal family. The coronation of King Alexander III of Scotland. King Alexander of Scotland had three children, but all had died in quick succession during the early-mid 1280’s. …
‘After his backbreaking labours in the valleys of the west! Edward was intent on enjoying a much needed rest! The aftermath of his successful endeavours in Wales saw Edward turn his gaze northwards to Scotland, the other Celtic fringe with which England shared a land border. Clearly, frosty Scotland could not have been too far …
‘In each and every part of Wales I will build a mighty castle! To prevent the emergence of any upstart, traitorous rascal!’ Edward confers with master builder, James of St George, concerning the intricacies of castle construction. The aftermath of the unpleasantness in Wales. Perhaps Edward’s wife, Eleanor, might have asked him about the savage …
‘As time passes, so turns the tide! For the ap-Gruffydd brothers, there is nowhere now to hide’! Edward I Edward’s offensive in Wales had been halted, and a confident Llewelyn had rejected the king’s offers of negotiations. However, the tide now turned in Edward’s favour. Llewelyn had descended from Snowdonia, had travelled to Powys and …
‘King Edward asks the Archbishop of Canterbury to mediate in this deadly dispute! The man of God finds the Welsh badly behaved, lazy and the country, a place of general ill-repute!’ Edward had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Franciscan friar and a truly remarkable man, John Peckham to mediate in the conflict. Peckham’s task was …
Edward I In 1282, Llewelyn-ap-Gruffydd, holed up in his mountainous lair and still smarting over his humiliating defeat in 1277 was eager to strike against Edward. In fact it was Llewelyn’s estranged brother, Daffyd who seized the initiative by mounting an attack on Hawarden Castle which had been rebuilt by Edward as a safeguard in …